LETTER: A lasting accomplishment of Sen. Ann O’Connell

I wanted to thank the Review-Journal for Devan Patel’s Sept. 5 article about the passing of former Nevada state Sen. Ann O’Connell. I wanted to add that Ann made important contributions to the advancement of suicide prevention efforts in Nevada. During the 1999 legislative session, she spearheaded the process that eventually led to the 2005 establishment of the Nevada Office of Suicide Prevention. In December of this year, the office will have effectively impacted the serious public health issue of suicide in our state for 21 years.

From 1993 (when my son died by suicide) to 1999, Nevada had the highest suicide rate in the United States — nearly double the national average. In 2024 (the latest statistics available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) our suicide rate was No. 10 in the country. Moreover, our rates have remained stable during recent years when other states’ rates increased significantly. None of this would have happened without the efforts of Ann O’Connell, and I think it’s important that Nevadans know that.